Asset or Minimserver for Synology DSM 3.2

Posted by: Renzo on 15 April 2014

Hi, I should be taking delivery of a Naim streamer shortly and was wondering how best to sort out my software. I'll put my hands out and say that I'm no computer expert but if I have reasonably clear instructions I'm not scared to try things out, eg taking my Synology 212+ from dsm4 back to 3.2.

At the moment I have all my music on the NAS as flac (including 24bit files)

My main need is the flac to wav transcoding including the hires files of course. I believe I have three options:

 

Asset

Minimserver

the native Media Server of the Synology DSM3.2

(I am assuming DSM5 hasn't corrected the flac to hires wav transcoding, but correct me if I'm wrong)

 

Anyone care to briefly explain the pros and cons of the choices please. Nserve will be used as control.

Do they all do gapless playback?

Thanks,

Renz

Posted on: 15 April 2014 by Solid Air

I don't think - might be wrong - that Asset works on Synology and I think DSM still has the transcoding issue with hi-res files. So your best/only bet in Minimserver. It does gapless.

 

It's faultless, but fiddly to install, needing Java. Some technical knowledge will be required.

 

My advice, having been through exactly this:

 

1) Start with a small selection of music - just  few albums - in FLAC.

 

2) Get DSM working with your FLAC files first before doing anything else. You'll need the Media Server package running on DSM, which is a simple download. That means you know the units are seeing each other and that everything is basically ok. Plus you get to listen to music while working out the next bit - I recommend Bon Iver as you'll need something soothing.

 

3) Once the above is all ok, go to the Minimserver website and check out the guidance. It isn't simple. You'll need Java running on the Synology and then Minimserver running on Java, plus you'll need Minimwatch running on a PC to manage it. Plus Minimwatch is a background programme so not the simplest thing ever.

 

4) In properties in Minimwatch (right click the icon in the tray) enter FLAC:WAV in whatever field it is - I don't have it in front of me now but it's in the instructions. Then restart Minimserver.

 

5) Check it's transcoding to WAV in N-Stream. Try it with hi-res too.

 

5) Later you can experiment with FLAC:WAV24 which seems to be a little smoother.

 

Good luck. 

 

Alex

 

Posted on: 15 April 2014 by engjoo

I am running DSM5.0 on my DS712+. 

 

No problems transcoding to high res WAV. 16bit/44k, 24bit/192k are ok.

 

All you need is to enable transcoding and check the box for customisation of MIME types.

 

Posted on: 17 April 2014 by Renzo

Thank you for your reply guys.

So the choice is narrowed down to:

DSM. 5 update

Minimserver

If the DSM 5 really does the hires flac to hires wav conversion as you say engjoo then I will probably give that a go first. It seems a bit simpler to set up.

Posted on: 17 April 2014 by Bart

DSM 5 seems quite nice in and of itself.  I'm glad I keep my Synology nas current.